Tag Archives: cpr training

cpr training retention

Study Shows that More Frequent CPR Training is Needed for Retention

A recent study published in the Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine Journal shows that more frequent CPR training is necessary for maximum retention. As a result of this study, different organizations are doing what they can to update their CPR training requirements. Specifically, at Indiana University Health, leaders changed their policy to require all of their 20,000 frontline caregivers to take a CPR training course at least once every two years in a classroom environment. However, even bigger changes are coming.

This updated policy is based on the study cited above which showed that CPR retention rates are not as good as people had once thought. The study proved that retention rates started dropping in as little as 3 to 6 months. Moreover, the results of the study illustrate that “conventional CPR training appears to be more effective for the retention of chest compression skills than hands-only CPR training; however, the retention of artificial ventilation skills after conventional CPR training is poor.”

Thus, regardless of whether one is practicing traditional CPR with rescue breaths or simply hands-only CPR, there are major issues with retention rates. In addition, certified CPR practitioners were asked to rate their level of confidence in performing CPR only three months after receiving their training, and the bulk reported a significant drop in their confidence level.

As a result of the findings in this study, IU Health decided to make changes to their CPR training policy for all frontline caregivers. They began in back 2017 by piloting a program called the Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program which was created by the American Heart Association. This program offers CPR training every quarter in order to keep skills fresh. Since 2015, approximately 750 hospitals in the United States have been offering this program to their workers.

IU Health has found great success with their new policies. Their initial pilot program found that all 200 of the participating nurses and paramedics retained their CPR skills every quarter. In addition, they even improved in some areas, such as chest compression quality.

The program consists of about 80 mannequin carts as well as online CPR training courses and is estimated to cost IU Health approximately $7 million over the next five years. However, despite the price tag, Dr. Jonathan Gottlieb, the health system’s chief medical officer, says that it’s actually a cost-effective investment. He emphasized that the flexibility of online learning allows their workers to gain the knowledge at their own pace and from anywhere, and thus, there was no need to backfill their positions while they received their training.

Due to the findings in this study and the efficacy of the Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program, online CPR courses have seen increased interest throughout the country. Because retention rates and confidence levels for CPR are surprisingly low after only 3 to 6 months, many organizations and individuals are seeing the importance of renewing their CPR certifications, and online programs are an easy way to keep their skills current.

The Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program is set to be implemented in all 16 of IU Health’s hospitals by mid-year, 2020.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4680501#ixzz6MHOQ2PeE

cpr covid19

CPR in a World with COVID-19

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation stands out as an inherently risky activity in the COVID-19 era: SARS-CoV-2 spreads from person to person through the air, and CPR involves many steps that could aerosolize the virus.

However, healthcare workers and bystanders can take precautions to protect themselves while helping others, as outlined in “interim guidance” recently published in Circulation.

Prior to the pandemic, survival from cardiac arrest had steadily improved thanks to prompt use of measures like chest compression and defibrillation. COVID-19 now requires taking a fresh look at “established processes and practices,” Dana P. Edelson, MD (University of Chicago, IL), and colleagues say. “The challenge is to ensure that patients with or without COVID-19 who experience cardiac arrest get the best possible chance of survival without compromising the safety of rescuers, who will be needed to care for future patients.”

Their practical advice—covering adult, pediatric, and neonatal resuscitations in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection, for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest—arises from a team effort by the American Heart Association (AHA) in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association for Respiratory Care, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists, with the support of both the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and National EMS Physicians.

“There’s a reason why we had eight organizations be a part of this. Part of that is because there’s a very small knowledge base right now for how to treat COVID patients and a lot of [that knowledge] is based on things that are literally being published hourly, coming out of China, Italy, France, and other countries,” Comilla Sasson, MD, PhD (University of Colorado Hospital, Denver), told TCTMD. Sasson, who co-authored the document along with 26 other experts, is an emergency medicine physician and the AHA’s vice president for emergency cardiovascular care science and innovation.

“What we tried to do was to take the best-available evidence, for which there is very limited data, combined with what we know from prior infectious disease outbreaks like SARS and MERS, and then really try to figure out [the] delicate balance of making sure that we are trying to optimize patient survival but at the same time being very mindful of exposure risks to providers as well,” she explained.

For the first time, CPR recommendations are calling for clinicians to take a pause and ensure safety before proceeding, Sasson pointed out. “Healthcare providers are a limited, scarce resource, and we have to make sure that their safety is paramount, especially in an infectious disease like this.”

Reduce Exposure, Limit Spread

The document emphasizes three main principles, explaining their rationale and offering specific strategies to achieve them: reduce provider exposure to SARS-CoV-2, prioritize oxygenation and ventilation methods that can lower aerosolization risk, and—for each unique patient and setting—weigh whether it is appropriate to start or continue CPR.

When COVID-19 is a concern, healthcare workers are encouraged to don personal protective equipment prior to initiating CPR and limit the number of personnel present when it occurs. Mechanical CPR devices also can reduce exposure. To limit aerosolization, the right tools can help, such as using a bag-mask device with a HEPA filter and a tight seal; the document also stresses intubation and ventilation of the patient.

Decisions over whether to pursue CPR must be done carefully, though “it is reasonable to consider age, comorbidities, and severity of illness,” according to the guidance.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a high-intensity team effort that diverts rescuer attention away from other patients. In the context of COVID-19, the risk to the clinical team is increased and resources can be profoundly more limited, particularly in regions that are experiencing a high burden of disease,” Edelson et al observe. “While the outcomes for cardiac arrest in COVID- 19 are as of yet unknown, the mortality for critically ill COVID-19 patients is high and rises with increasing age and comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease.”

Importantly, for patients who are COVID-19 negative or aren’t thought to have the disease, “cardiac arrest resuscitations should proceed according to the standard algorithms,” they stress.

Some good news: CPR training is available online. In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to take measures to insure the safety of your loved ones.

For the entire article, please see the source: https://www.tctmd.com/news/cpr-covid-19-keep-safe-setting-cardiac-arrest

paramedics doll

40,000 ORANGE COUNTY FLORIDA STUDENTS GET CPR TRAINING

Nearly 40,000 Orange County Public School students will participate in a county–wide CPR training Thursday (09/26/19) in recognition of this week’s World Heart Day.

In partnership with the  American Heart Association, local fire crews will visit  25 school sites and tech centers to teach students “hands only” CPR.  The training will include checking vitals, assessing ABC’s (airway, breathing, circulation) and performing chest compression.

Jimmy Clarity of the American Heart Association said that the training will not only benefit the schools, but the community as a whole.

“Allowing more folks to be trained on CPR really gives us the best opportunity to create the healthiest city possible and the healthiest community possible.”

Clarity added that the annual event has proven its worth from students who have already shared life-saving stories of their own and that their experiences will make for a more prepared tomorrow.

“Ultimately, we want to make Orlando the safest community in the country and by training more of our students in hands-only CPR we are creating a future generation of lifesavers.”

According to the American Heart Association, a victim’s chance of survival decreases by 10 percent every minute CPR is delayed.  But if applied immediately, a person’s chances of survival can double or triple.

Source: https://www.wmfe.org/to-create-healthy-community-40000-orange-county-students-get-cpr-training/136848